GCSE Environmental Science / Specimen Assessment Material / Version 1.

0 / For First Teaching 2009

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General Certificate of Secondary Education

Specimen Paper

Section

Mark

Environmental Science

44402

2
Total

Unit 2 Investigations in Environmental Science

Specimen ISA Paper
Solar Cells

(max 34)

Valid for submission in XXXX

For this paper you must have:
results tables and charts or graphs from your
own investigation.
You may use a calculator.

Time allowed
y 45 minutes
Instructions
y Use black ink or black ball-point pen.
y Fill in the boxes at the top of this page.
y Answer all questions.
y You must answer the questions in the space provided. Answers written
in margins or on blank pages will not be marked.
y Do all rough work in this book. Cross through any work you do not want
to be marked.
Information
y The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
y The maximum mark for this paper is 34.
y You are expected to use a calculator where appropriate.
y In some questions you will be assessed on using good English,
organising information clearly and using specialist terms where
appropriate

Signature of teacher
marking this ISA:

Date

The specimen assessment materials are provided to give centres a reasonable idea of the general shape and
character of the planned question papers and mark schemes in advance of the first operational exams.

44402

GCSE Environmental Science / Specimen Assessment Material / Version 1.0 / For First Teaching 2009

Section 1
These questions are about the investigation that you carried out on solar cells.
Answer all questions in the spaces provided.
1 In your investigation, the independent variable (the one that you deliberately changed)
was the area of solar cell exposed to the light.
1

(a) What was the range that you used for this variable?
The range was from...................................... to......................................
(1 mark)

(b) Was this a suitable range to choose?

Draw a ring around your answer.
Yes / No
Explain your answer.
....................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................
(1 mark)

2 What was the dependent variable in your investigation?

.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
(1 mark)
3 Did you repeat any of your readings?
Draw a ring around your answer.
Yes / No
Explain why you did or did not repeat any readings.
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
(1 mark)
4 The sensitivity of the meter that you used depends on the smallest change in the reading
that can be recorded.
4

(a) Look at the table of results.

What was the smallest scale division on the meter?
....................................................................................................................................
(1 mark)

GCSE Env Sci Specimen ISA

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GCSE Environmental Science / Specimen Assessment Material / Version 1.0 / For First Teaching 2009

3
4

(b) If you had used an instrument with a smaller scale division, what would this have
increased?
Draw a ring around the correct answer.
accuracy

precision

reliability

validity
(1 mark)

5 Before you carried out your investigation, you may have carried out a preliminary trial.
Why is this a good thing to do in this investigation?
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
(1 mark)
6 Look at your results table and graph or chart.
6

(a) What conclusion can you make from your investigation about a link between the
area of the cell exposed and the voltage output?
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
(2 marks)

(b) Use your results to justify the conclusion that you have reached.
.................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................

(2 marks)
7 Suggest one improvement that you could make that would increase the accuracy of
your results.
.............................................................................................................................................
(1 mark)
8 Make sure that your results tables, and charts or graphs are handed in with this paper.
You will be awarded up to 6 marks for these.
(6 marks)
18

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GCSE Environmental Science / Specimen Assessment Material / Version 1.0 / For First Teaching 2009

Section 2
These questions are based on a vocational application of your own investigation.
In some questions you will also be required to relate your own method/results to this
new context.
Answer all questions in the spaces provided.
A work experience student was sent to a company that supplies solar panels to power
road signs in remote areas.
He noticed that different customers used different sizes of panel, and wondered why.
He decided to find out how the voltage produced depends on the area of solar panel.
9 Using ideas from your own investigation into solar cells, explain how the student should
carry out this investigation.
You should write down the method in such a way that the student would be able to
follow your instructions and obtain valid results.
In this question you will be assessed on using good English, organising information
clearly and using specialist terms where appropriate.
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
(4 marks)

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GCSE Environmental Science / Specimen Assessment Material / Version 1.0 / For First Teaching 2009

5
The student carried out the investigation and obtained the results shown in the table
Table of Results
Surface area
exposed
(cm2)
0.0
5.0
20.0
30.0
50.0
100.0
120.0
140.0
200.0
250.0
500.0

Average voltage in
millivolts (mV)
10
50
90
105
110
120
140
150
160
170
175

10 There seems to have been a zero error on the voltmeter.

10

(a) How can you tell this from the table of results?
...................................................................................................................................
(1 mark)

10

(b) If you had a zero error on the instrument that you used in your investigation, what
should you have done to obtain accurate results from it?
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
(1 mark)

11 In your investigation, in addition to the independent and dependent variables, there were
other variables that you needed to keep unchanged
Write down one variable that the student should have kept unchanged
.............................................................................................................................................
(1 mark)
12 Look at the first column in the table of results, headed Surface area exposed.
What type of variable is this?
Draw a ring around the correct answer.
continuous

categoric

discrete

ordered
(1 mark)

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GCSE Environmental Science / Specimen Assessment Material / Version 1.0 / For First Teaching 2009

6
13 The students supervisor said that the results were badly reported.
He said that the student had only recorded the average voltage produced.
13

(a) Why is it important to show the results of the individual tests?

....................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................
(1 mark)

13

(b) In fact the student had done each test 3 times.

In your own investigation you were required to carry out several repeats and then
calculate a mean.
Explain how you calculated a mean from the repeat values.
....................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................
(1 mark)

14 The student produced a graph of these results, see Chart 1.

Chart 1

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GCSE Environmental Science / Specimen Assessment Material / Version 1.0 / For First Teaching 2009

7
14

(a) Explain why the student should have taken more readings between 50.0 cm2 and
150.0 cm2.
...................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
(1 mark)

14

(b) The line on the graph that the student has drawn is not a line of best fit.
Draw a line of best fit on the graph.
(1 mark)

14

(c) Compare the results of your investigation with those of the student.
Write down one way in which they are similar and one way in which they are
different.
Similarity ..................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
Difference .................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................
(2 marks)

15 The student was asked to suggest a few words for the companys brochure.
He wrote: We recommend that you purchase a 500 cm2 panel rather than a 250 cm2
panel. As you can see from the charts, you get an increased voltage from a larger
surface area. The panels cost 10 per 100 cm2.
15

(a) Write down one reason why this might not be good advice.
.................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................

(1 mark)
15

(b) Why do you think that the company might be keen to make this recommendation?
.................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................

(1 mark)
16
END OF QUESTIONS

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GCSE Env Sci Specimen ISA